CHICAGO, Ill. (WEEK) -- Illinois' Attorney General is warning all Illinois residents about scams and frauds related to COVID-19 vaccination cards.
In a release sent early Wednesday morning, Kwame Raoul advised people to not post pictures of their vaccination cards on social media, because scammers can pull your sensitive information from it.
Raoul also says his office is looking into reports of fake vaccination cards that are available to purchase online, adding if you see one of these, don't buy it, and report it to the Attorney General.
“People are understandably excited about the vaccine and the hope it offers, but they should refrain from posting pictures of their vaccine cards on social media, as thieves can use the information on the cards to access and steal additional personal information,” Raoul said in a statement. “Anyone who is a victim of a COVID vaccine scam or vaccination card-related identity theft should contact my office,” he added.
The Attorney General's release offered steps you can take to protect yourself from falling victim:
- Do not post a picture of your vaccination card on social media. Instead, post a picture of the sticker received after you are vaccinated, as it does not contain personal information.
- Do not pay money for COVID-19 vaccination cards, vaccines or treatments on the internet or from an online pharmacy. You should not have to pay any amount of money out of pocket in order to receive the vaccine. Everyone will be able to receive the vaccine, even if they do not have health insurance.
- Ignore online, phone and text offers for the COVID-19 vaccine or vaccination cards.
- Delete emails and texts that promise or offer access to COVID-19 treatments or cards, and do not click on any links contained in such emails as they may place malware on your devices.
- Check with your local health department for vaccine availability and for a list of local medical providers offering the COVID-19 vaccine.
- If you register to receive a notification when you are eligible to receive the vaccine, be sure you know by what method you will be contacted to schedule an appointment, whether email, text or phone call. If you are unsure whether a contact is legitimate, look up the provider’s phone number independently to return the call. Never give out personal information in response to unsolicited phone calls.
Raoul goes on to say some providers of the vaccine may charge for consultation or other administrative fees. While it is allowed, Raoul's statement adds such fees must be build to your health insurance, and you should not have to pay for a vaccine when you get one.
If you think you have fallen victim to a scam, call the Attorney General's Consumer Fraud Hotline at 1-800-386-5438, which is based in Chicago, 1-800-243-0618, which is based in Springfield, and 1-800-243-0607, which is based in Carbondale. You can also file a complaint by going to the Attorney General's website.
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March 31, 2021 at 04:23PM
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Attorney General warns about COVID vaccination card scams - week.com
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